The European Parliament adopted by 524 votes to 30, with 92 abstentions, a resolution on the situation in the Gaza Strip.
The resolution was tabled by the EPP, ALDE, S&D, ECR, and Greens/EFA groups.
Parliament noted the violence following the Great March of Return, a six-week weekly mass protest, which began on 30 March 2018 in the Gaza Strip, organised by civil society groups, during which close to 30 Palestinians have been killed and more than 2 000 have been wounded, including many children and women. It supported the calls for independent investigations into these violent events, and that the intentional use of lethal force against protesters who do not pose an imminent threat to life or serious injury violates international human rights law and in the context of occupation is a serious breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Parliament took note of the Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism established by the Israel Defence Forces to review IDF actions.
Members called for utmost restraint and stated that the priority must be to avoid any further escalation of violence and loss of life. They stated, furthermore, that all parties involved in the conflict must fully respect the rights of detainees and prisoners.
They condemned the killings and injury of innocent Palestinian demonstrators in the Gaza Strip over the past three weeks, and urged the Israeli Defence Force to refrain from using lethal force against unarmed protestors. They also recognised Israel’s security challenges and the need to protect its territory and borders while using proportionate means. They expressed concern that Hamas seems to be aiming at escalating tensions, noting that over the past few weeks there has been an increase in terrorist attacks against Israel. They strongly condemned Hamas’s use of civilians for the purpose of shielding terrorist activities, as well as activities such as the firing of rockets, infiltration into Israeli territory and the building of tunnels. Non-violent means and respect for human rights and humanitarian law, by both state and non-state actors, are the only way to achieve a sustainable solution and a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Parliament went on to call for an immediate and unconditional end to the blockade and closure of the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in a deteriorating, unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the area. It deplored the fact that the health sector is close to collapse, and called for an immediate and meaningful international effort for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Gaza.
Calling again for the return of the Palestinian Authority to the Gaza Strip, the resolution stressed that Palestinian reconciliation is important for reaching the two-state solution and should continue to be supported by the EU through innovative action. Members reiterated that the EU’s main objective is to achieve the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states, with the secure State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous and viable Palestinian State living side by side.